How a historic shipbuilding hub became the site of a modern human safari
In short: Founded by Catherine the Great as a strategic Black Sea port, Kherson has endured centuries of imperial ambition, famine, and war. Today, the city faces a grim new reality: a persistent campaign of drone strikes targeting civilians, turning daily life into a dangerous, calculated game of survival for its remaining residents.
Kherson was established in 1778 by decree of Catherine the Great, serving as a vital fortress and shipyard for the Russian Empire's Black Sea Fleet. Its location on the Dnieper River made it a center for trade and industry, attracting a diverse population of Ukrainians, Greeks, Poles, and Jews. By the 20th century, it had evolved into a major Soviet industrial hub, though it suffered immense trauma during the Second World War, including the 1941 execution of its Jewish population by German forces.
The city's modern history is defined by its struggle for sovereignty. In the 1991 independence referendum, 90.1% of voters in the region supported a free Ukraine. However, the 2022 Russian invasion brought brutal occupation, followed by a liberation in November 2022 that left the city's infrastructure devastated. The subsequent destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in 2023 further compounded the humanitarian crisis, displacing residents and destroying local ecosystems.
Today, the city is a frontline target. With Russian forces positioned across the Dnieper, Kherson endures constant shelling and a specific terror campaign known as the human safari. Since May 2024, small drones have targeted civilians at bus stops and in parks, with attacks often celebrated on Russian social media. As of March 2025, the city faces between 600 and 700 drone attacks weekly. Consequently, the population has plummeted from a pre-war estimate of 280,000 to approximately 60,000, as the city continues its process of decolonization and derussification.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Kherson
- Also: Wikidata — Kherson · CC0
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